First let me say that I am having so much fun! Friday Casey and I went to Babies R’ Us to start our registry. I debated about where to register, but Babies R’ Us is pretty universal and Buy Buy Baby doesn’t have as much of a selection. Plus Babies R’ Us is located in more places. I let Casey work the gun and I pretty much knew all the main things I wanted to hit for the night. I didn’t want to do too much so we did a quick lap around the store. I was a bit annoyed with the lack of selection in some areas. Plus you know I am a bit “hippie” so many of the things I was interested in weren’t sold at Babies R’ Us. They have a larger selection online, but I was disappointed to see most things were sold out! Plus you have to pay shipping. I only registered for items that were available in my local store so people would be able to get them!
Well, there were a lot of things missing so I did a bit of research and decided to register with Amazon too. I was seeing a lot of people using it on message boards so I checked it out one day. Awesome. So many things I was looking for and most of them ship for free! So easy. Plus they have a Universal Registry button so I can add things from other websites that aren’t available on Amazon or Babies R’ Us (like my cloth diapers and diaper bag). I don’t know if anyone will actually use it or purchase items off it, but it was fun to do anyway. I figure local folks will just hit the Babies R’ Us and the out of town folks will have the option to ship for free with Amazon! Plus some people (like me) hate Babies R’ Us. It is so frustrating going in there to get a gift. You cannot go on a weekend because it is so crowded and I can never find the things I am looking for or they are sold out. I guess that is what happens when there is only one location in Raleigh! The Amazon registry isn’t as easy to use, but if you go to amazon.com you click on gifts and wish lists on the top. On the right you will see a search button and you can select baby registry.
I tried to put a nice selection and various prices. It was fun. Even if I don’t get a thing off either of them I had the best time! I am still adding things every now and then so it may change a bit.
UPDATE: I have added a link on the sidebar to my favorite Etsy hats and cocoons/wraps (under Baby Stuff). As you all know this baby will be photographed A LOT!! So cute props and hats are needed. 
I am hoping to do take pictures for a little extra money one day so I need the practice! I am sure I will be adding more….. I am a sucker for cute hats.
Lot’s of fun this week! I have a picture below from today. As you can see I don’t look as big when wearing a maternity shirt as I did the other day in my old shirt. I did have my first stranger notice I was pregnant this week! I was so excited. For some reason when she said “Oh, you’re pregnant” I looked at my belly as if I needed to check to make sure! It was such a strange reaction. Of course earlier that morning on my way to work I had managed to drop peanut butter on my shirt so I had a nice oil stain right on my belly. Two people noticed my belly that day and I had on a dirty shirt!
Also this week it snowed! It didn’t snow as much as we were expecting since it turned to sleet early Saturday morning so it didn’t look as impressive. It was still lots of fun for us! It all happened Friday night and Saturday so no missing work. I am going to go in a bit later tomorrow since they haven’t cleared the roads yet. Just the main ones. Anyway, on Saturday while it was sleeting I looked out and saw little bunny prints in the snow! Then all the sudden our little bunny came running out into the yard and towards the deck. He was all wet and I felt so bad for the little guy. We went out to track him and he had run all around the deck. We figured he was trying to get under there for shelter, but he couldn’t get in so we cracked the door a bit for him. Of course then he would be trapped if a predator came in there! Later that night I saw him eating the tiny bits of grass sticking out from the snow. All his earlier tracks had been covered. This morning I looked out and saw lots of tracks in the yard! Casey and I had a great time walking around following his tracks. There was also cat prints in the back and front yards. The cat tracks followed the rabbit so he must have smelled him. There was an area that looked like both were running. We also saw another animal tracks at the neighbors house. It must have been a raccoon or opossum. It certainly wasn’t the cat or rabbit. It was tiny tracks with nails. I can’t even image what life is like for that little rabbit at night! So many creatures out there chasing him around. How scary. He really stands out in the snow too. Usually we can’t see him very well, but he really stands out in the snow. We saw him some more this afternoon so he made it through the night okay.
We spent most of the weekend cleaning (why is it we have to clean so much!) and working on wiring the house. The wiring has been a lot of work! We bought an XBOX a few weeks ago so we can watch TV downstairs. Then we found out that we had to pay more to watch Netflix and the wireless wasn’t good enough to watch the shows recorded on the server. We tried a new router, no good. Moved the router, no good. So finally it was decided we needed to wire the house. Casey had started the project many years ago before I was around, but he never finished it. Getting the wire from upstairs to downstairs was not easy. We now have holes in several walls, but managed to get the wire downstairs. The wires were in the closet and we needed them over by the TV. After several attempts and trips under the house Casey finally listened to my advice and drilled through the floor. So now we have TV downstairs. There is still a lot Casey wants to do with the project, but it is over my head. Oh, and we had to run two wires so we can move the Wii down there in the spring since we will be able to stream Netflix on it for free! A lot of work to watch TV!
On another note, I started my registries, but I will post more on that this week. I need to work on them a bit more!! As usual I am mixing it up a bit!! I am sure you wouldn’t expect anything less from me!
21 week photo, almost 22 weeks
Yep, all the sudden it just popped out a bit more. I am still in the odd is she pregnant or just a bit overweight stage in normal clothes. I have my tight clothes on here, but in regular shirts I can still go either way. Speaking of shirts, I am running out of them!! We didn’t get the pictures done yesterday and this one is horrible, but I had to take it. I decided to do some yoga after work so I put on my yoga pants and tank top. The pants used to be a bit loose and the shirt was long and loose. I expected the pants to be more snug, but was in shock when I put on the shirt! Boy was that shirt stretched out!! Short and very tight. So I guess I am bigger than I realize.
This weekend I went to the Kids Exchange. It was crazy! I couldn’t believe all the stuff they had for sale. Mom and I went Friday and just picked up a few little outfits. There were tables and tables of toys, but I really didn’t know what I wanted and we didn’t want to be there all day. Plus it is hard to know what I will need at this point. I decided to go again today since everything was 50% off. Casey and I were there early and waited in the long line to get in. We went straight for the clothes. I know I will get tons of clothes, but I wanted to get some too. I went for the larger sizes since I already have a lot of little stuff people have given me. I picked up about 18 outfits and then we went to the infant tables. I picked up a few things for my friend that is also pregnant. I also grabbed a few socks, hats, towels and wash clothes. It was all so cheap I couldn’t resist. I got all of this for $35 including tax!!
I spent most of the weekend cleaning and nesting again. I am so close now. I have pretty much everything out of the nursery and into its new place or area. I have a few projects I need to work on so I can’t get it all put away until I finish those. I feel much better knowing I am close! The baby’s closet is pretty much done, but I need to make some final decisions on my shelf placement. The closet now only has baby stuff in it which is a huge improvement! I will post pictures eventually when it is all done.
Doctor or midwife? Hospital or birth center? Breastfeed or formula? Circumcise or not? Cloth diapers or disposables? Store cord blood or not? So many choices, so many decisions. Not to mention the million different cribs, swings, high chairs, play yards, bottles, bouncers and on and on. There are so many things to think about and decide. I am the kind of person that has to think about and research each decision and option. I don’t just do what everyone else does or what someone tells me to do. I do my own research. Books, Internet sites, message boards, asking friends, doctors. I take all the advice and then make my own decision based on what I feel is right for me. I don’t always pick the most popular or mainstream choice which is hard for some people to accept. Some decisions are easy for me like breastfeeding, but then there are more questions. Do I introduce a bottle and pump? When do I do this? Other decisions take a bit more thought and some convincing of those around me. The biggest one was my desire to not birth at a hospital. I don’t like hospitals. I know we need them and they fixed me up. They very well might safe my life or our baby’s life during labor and delivery. They do great things and save babies and mothers. I don’t doubt the need for them, but I don’t feel that low risk, healthy women need to birth in a hospital. I am afraid they will push for interventions that I don’t want, stick me in a bed attached to machines, keep me from eating or drinking, stick me with an IV, do an episiotomy or send me in for a c-section I don’t really need. I don’t think I need a surgeon to deliver my baby unless something is going wrong.
I am so lucky to have a wonderful birth center near me. They are located in Chapel Hill and have been there for many years. They have practice privileges at UNC Hospitals and are well respected in the community. Sure it is a 45 minute drive from our house and WakeMed is 5 minutes. However, if I do need to be admitted to a hospital UNC is my first choice. For those who don’t know birth centers are run my midwives. They are not just hippies with no education. They are probably more educated in normal births than OB’s. OB’s are surgeons and most have never even attended a birth from start to finish. Research has shown that both birth centers and home births are just as safe as hospital births. As if going to a birth center wasn’t enough to get everyone questioning my sanity I am also hiring a doula. A doula is a woman that stays with us throughout the whole labor to help support both mom and dad. She will come out to our house during the earlier stages of labor until we go to Chapel Hill. We will not be admitted to the birth center until I am 5-6 centimeters so that is fair amount of work we do on our own. She will stay during the delivery and for about an hour after. She then comes by for a post partum visit. Deciding on a doula was difficult for me because I really liked everyone I met. Casey went to the meetings with me and helped with the decision.
My other controversial decision is cloth diapers. I honestly never gave cloth diapers a second thought until one of the doulas mentioned them in passing. She wasn’t even talking about using them, but was mentioning how many different kinds there are now. Different kinds? You mean they aren’t just the white folded diapers with pins and plastic cover. You should check them out! I started looking into them out of curiosity and soon was thinking…. this might be a good idea. Not only am I leaning towards using them, but also cleaning them! Am I crazy? Maybe. I am going to get a few to try before investing the money in them. If it works out we could save a ton of money. Sure it might be a little more work for me, but maybe it won’t be that bad. I am going to use disposables for the first few weeks. I expect to be a bit sleep deprived and not wanting to clean diapers!
On a lighter note I purchased my first maternity jeans tonight!! I went with the Motherhood secret whatever they call it… belly maybe? They were the most comfortable for the price. I got two pairs which should be plenty for me for awhile. I expect I will want something cooler in a few months.
As of tomorrow we will be half way done with the pregnancy!! I am already a bit sad that it is almost over. Perhaps it is the hormones. It is hard to believe we are at the half way point already. It has been an exciting week. I finally felt some movement. Perhaps some of the little pains I have been feeling for awhile were the baby, but I didn’t feel the flutter before this week. I would have noticed that one! It is a very distinct feeling and it is so strange! I felt it over the weekend and now I am feeling him a lot more. He has been moving around a lot more today or at least I can feel him more now. My belly has also started to grow very quickly. Still no big baby bump, but it won’t be long now. I pretty much can’t wear any of my jeans without a rubber band. The Bella Band is too tight now so I don’t use it as much as I did at first. Plus all my shirts are too short now. You can see my unzipped jeans so I will be picking up some maternity jeans this weekend. Still no cravings and the only other issue is occasional acid reflux. The pictures were taken on Sunday. That has become our picture day. I have some more things to post later this week, but I am too tired to do it now.
Here is the picture from Sunday. Still not impressive, but trust me I am bigger b/c nothing fits!
Tomorrow will be week 19 and today was our big scan as you can see from my previous post. So here are a few pictures of my expanding belly and some from the ultrasound today. Here are a few updates for week 19.
Weight gained – 15 pounds
Cravings – nothing until I hear/see something…. after watching Chuck tonight I need Cheese Balls, last week was Pop Tarts (thanks Chandra for that one!)
Maternity clothes – not yet, but getting close!
New Symptoms – clumsy!!! I drop everything including my entire plate of food the other night as seen below… also occasional acid reflux, but nothing too terrible
Still nesting like a crazy woman
Baby Pictures:
My belly:
My mess, it was all on my and floor at one point. I had already started to clean up when the pictures were taken:
Were you hoping I would put it right here for you to see? I am going to make you read a bit more to find out it’s a boy!!! I am up about 15 pounds….. let’s not think about that part. Everything looked good with the ultrasound and no other issues. I will try to take pictures tonight to post and add a bit more later!
18 weeks and nothing new or exciting to report. I continue to gain weight at an alarming pace, but I don’t know where it is going! Still no baby bump and wearing my old clothes. Although the jeans are getting tighter. No fun or crazy cravings. No movement at least that I am sure about. Still feeling good and having zero problems sleeping. I love sleeping!
I started doing yoga again this week now that my lower back is feeling better. I have also been walking a mile on the elliptical and doing some squats and other leg toning exercises. It feels good to exercise again, but next week will be a busy one so I might not be able to fit much in for a few days. I am looking forward to doing more organizing this weekend!
I know I just posted last night, but a friend sent me this list and I had to post a few with my comments. My bunny craziness started 6 years ago this month when I adopted Tuscan from the SPCA. Then I adopted Moose a month later. Since then I have fostered dozens of rabbits, helped to start up the House Rabbit Meetup Group, started the rabbit volunteer program and foster program at the SPCA and become an HRS educator. Here is the complete list on Cats, Rabbits and More.
Here are the ones I could relate to the most with a few comments added by me.
• Their grocery bill is higher than yours and every cardboard box you encounter is analyzed for it’s ‘bunny appropriateness’
• You don’t think twice when things end up with chew holes
• When people think of rabbits you immediately come to mind
• You know what your rabbit is thinking by the tilt of their head, their ears, etc. even when others think they’re just sitting there
• You go to the produce store and buy absolutely nothing for yourself, only for the rabbits
• You catch yourself saying “everybun” or “everybunny” in everyday conversations
• You have 3 cans of pumpkin in the pantry at all times, just in case (also pineapple and baby food)
• You know what a NIC condo is & have probably built one
• You have hay EVERYWHERE
• You have hay/fur in your washer/dryer and have to pick off tiny pieces from your clothing while at work
• You wake up to two foster babies fighting in an enclosure that’s not theirs and the rightful occupant of the enclosure is halfway across the room watching them fight (we have had lots of foster escapes and fights….)
• You wear your nibbled clothing like a badge of honor (my tan coat and now my expensive camera bag!!)
• The smell of fresh hay makes you think of home and your sweet-faced little angels
• You have strategically placed gates and xpens throughout your house that you consistently trip over (don’t forget the screen door!)
• You ask for a special vacuum for Christmas just for the hay (okay, my first anniversary gift was the Dyson, nothing better!)
• You have at least two vacuum cleaners and you always have electrical tape on hand (the hand vacuum downstairs is covered in electrical tape, but we keep the Dyson cord far away from the teeth)
• All your sheets have nibbles in them (they aren’t allowed in my room anymore, but back in the day they destroyed my comforter when I went out of town)
• The TV reception goes out because the antenna cable was chewed off (okay, never lost the antenna cable, but lots of remote buttons)
• It dawns on you that they are actually training you, instead of you training them
• You have to buy computer mice in six-packs because “something” keeps happening to the cords (and laptop power cords)
• You have 5 or 6 buns or more -and you can tell whose poops are whose (I am a poop expert)
• Everyone at the grocery store thinks you eat so healthy because half your order is greens (have heard this one a lot)